Children's Law Center, Arizona

Mission:
Help at risk youth who cannot live with their parents obtain permanency, security and stability in their living arrangement. Help their caretakers obtain the legal standing they need in order to protect, aquire necessities and care for these children. Target demographics:
Low income youth and their families in Maricopa County Direct beneficiaries per year:
we assist over 2000 youth per year Programs:
Adoption Project
Guardianship Project
Guardianship Clinic
Medical Legal Clinic
Teens@ work
Fact Free Advice Clinic for Teens
Court Appointed Advisor - Family Court

Community Reviews

The Children's Law Center is my primary source for finding pro bono cases to handle. The staff does an amazing job screening matters, and they are incredibly responsive. Their devotion to assisting those in need is a model for others to follow.

The Children's Law Center helps families in need to adopt grandchildren and siblings and take guardianship of children whose parents are incarcerated or battling drug addiction. These are just some of the situations that bring families to their door. These services help children and families in the Phoenix area every day with adoption and guardianship proceedings. The volunteer attorneys sometimes take on several cases at once because they are dedicated to helping children to have stable and loving homes.

If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...

I worked with one of the Children's Law Center's sister programs, the HIV/AIDS Law Project. Every time we had a client with children that needed help, the Coordinator and volunteers for the Children's Law Center came to the rescue. Given the dynamics of dealing with children in need combined with HIV-positive parents in need can be very challenging. Not once was a client turned away. Not once was an issue too big or too complicated that it could not be addressed. Without hesitation, I would refer a friend in need of assistance to the Children's Law Center.

When was your last experience with this nonprofit?

The Children's Law Center provides legal support and education for children and their families in need. An unmet civil need (such as custody, guardianship, etc) can be as devastating to a person/family as a criminal charge. Yet there is a constitutional right to defense in a criminal trial. There is no constitutional right to legal assistance in a civil trial. The CLC steps in to provide assistance to those who most need it, but can least afford it. I volunteered with this organization as an attorney and can tell you that while there are many worthy organizations that exist, this one is truly exceptional. The professionals who run the group are invested in their mission, care about their clients, and ensure that the attorneys that volunteers are high caliber and well trained. The only reason I no longer volunteer is that I moved out of state. However, I stay in touch with the administration and would gladly volunteer again.

When was your last experience with this nonprofit?

I became acquainted with the Children’s Law Center in 2003. I can say in all of my years of volunteering, I have never worked with a more devoted and committed group of people and all for such a worthy cause. The Children’s Law Center not only helps to serve people within the local community, but also aids to serve as an internal mechanism by providing education and training to those willing to help and springboard this experience into local communities. Keep up the good work!

I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...

the Children's Law Center by participating and witnessing the services to those in need within the local community. I have also witnessed other firms getting involved and providing pro bono services to those referred to them by the Children's Law Project.

If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...

leave things the way they have been operating with the exception of providing additonal funding so that they can continue to reach out and provide services to the community.

Would you volunteer for this group again?

Likely

For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?